Submitted Abstract

As a strategic instrument of the University of Luxembourg, SnT carries a mission to become an internationally leading research and innovation centre that, together with public and industry partners, establishes Luxembourg as a European centre of excellence for secure, reliable, and trustworthy ICT systems and services. SnT has undergone a rapid development since its launch in 2009; recruiting top scientists, creating a Partnership Program with 35 members (4.5 MEUR in annual funding), launching over 60 EU/ESA projects, creating a technology transfer office (TTO), protecting and licensing IP, launching three spin-off companies, and creating a dynamic interdisciplinary research environment with some 290 people. The relevance and impact of SnT is clearly visible in the large number of partners willing to invest in joint research activities, ultimately improving their competitiveness through new and improved services and systems. SnT attracts R&D investment to the country by performing collaborative research with newly established R&D offices in Luxembourg (Olamobile, Nexus, Choice, Rogler). Some 70 researchers holding a PhD have taken up employment in Luxembourg after finishing their contract with SnT, about two-thirds of them in the private sector. As a key national innovation actor aligned to the national agenda, SnT aims to fuel the entrepreneurial eco-system through spin-offs, IP transfer, and as an initiator and a stakeholder of the Digital Tech Fund.Aligned with the objectives in the government’s Digital Lëtzebuerg strategy, one of the SnT’s key strategic areas is Financial Technologies (FinTech). This domain is recognized as critical to support the digital transformation of the country’s financial and banking sector. SnT aims to build a FinTech Centre of Excellence in research and attracting international R&D investments to the country, recruiting and training top talent sourcing globally and spin-off innovative companies from R&D projects. Clear evidence of serious demand for innovation in this sector has been identified. Some of these competencies are already represented at SnT as: risk and compliance management; business and data analytics; security, privacy, blockchain, and distributed ledgers. The PayPal-FNR PEARL Chair constitutes a great opportunity to establish a world-leading research unit in this domain supported by and integrated into the successful collaborative research model at SnT. We seek to recruit an outstanding scientist and leader in Digital Financial Services bridging the gap between digital technologies and the financial regulatory framework. The nexus of a tested regulatory environment, varied digital technologies and a strong financial industry is a natural area of opportunity for Luxembourg. The Chair will play a pivotal role in linking technical research and developments with legal and regulatory innovations and their financial aspects, whilst also reaching out to key stakeholders in government (ministries, regulators, government-run startup incubators) and to companies in the financial service sector.